Do You Bully?

Do You Bully?
This text is provided courtesy of PACER Center* (www.pacer.org).

This text is provided courtesy of PACER Center* (www.pacer.org).

Think the person bullying is the big, tough kid on the

playground who pushes everyone around? Could be, but it
can also be the cheerleader, the student council member,
or the quiet kid. A lot of times, people think that
appearance defines someone who bullies, but you can't
tell who bullies just by looking at them. Students who bully
can be any size, age, gender or grade.

Then what does define

someone who bullies?
The answer: It's his or her BEHAVIOR. It's bullying when
someone uses words or action to hurt or harm someone else and that person has a hard time
defending himself or herself.

Sometimes kids who bully might think that it's cool, fun or just "no big deal," but think about it
- what is cool or fun about hurting someone? Name calling, tripping someone, laughing at
the person, leaving the person out, ignoring him or her on purpose-how can hurting
someone possibly be "no big deal"?

If kids think about why they are bullying, they can then deal with those reasons and change
their behavior. You want cool? Now that's cool.

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© 2015 PACER Center, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by Permission
 Do You Bully?

ReadWorks.org
© 2015 PACER Center, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by Permission
 Do You Bully? - Comprehension Questions

Name: ___________________________________ Date: _______________

1. What defines someone who bullies?

A. his or her age

B. his or her size
C. his or her appearance
D. his or her behavior

2. What does the author define and describe in this article?

A. friendship
B. studying
C. bullying
D. cooperation

3. Imagine that someone keeps calling you "a nerd." You ask the person to stop, but he or
she ignores you. Based on the evidence in the text, what can you conclude about that
person?

A. That person is a bully.

B. That person is not a bully.
C. That person knows how to defend himself or herself.
D. That person does not know how to defend himself or herself.

4. Imagine that someone has called you "a nerd." You ask the person to stop and explain
your feelings have been hurt. He or she apologizes and never calls you a nerd again. Based
on the evidence in the text, what can you conclude about that person?

A. That person is a bully.

B. That person is not a bully.
C. That person knows how to defend himself or herself.
D. That person does not know how to defend himself or herself.

5. What is the main idea of this text?

A. Students who bully can be big and tough.

B. Cheerleaders, student council members, and quiet kids can be bullies.
C. Bullying is defined by behavior, not appearance.
D. Kids who bully might think that bullying is cool or fun.
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 Do You Bully? - Comprehension Questions

6. The title of this text is "Do You Bully?" Why might the author have written the title as a
question?

A. to encourage readers to pay more attention to their appearance

B. to encourage readers to tell an adult if they are bullied
C. to make readers think about whether they bully others
D. to make readers feel bad about bullying others

7. Read these sentences from the text.

"Think the person bullying is the big, tough kid on the playground who pushes everyone
around? Could be, but it can also be the cheerleader, the student council member, or the
quiet kid."

How could the first sentence be expanded without changing its meaning?

A. When do you think the person bullying is the big, tough kid on the playground who
pushes everyone around?
B. Do you think the person bullying is the big, tough kid on the playground who pushes
everyone around?
C. Why do you think the person bullying is the big, tough kid on the playground who pushes
everyone around?
D. Why would you think the person bullying is the big, tough kid on the playground who
pushes everyone around?

8. According to the text, what might kids who bully think about bullying?

Include three pieces of information from the text in your answer.

9. Explain whether the author thinks bullying is "no big deal."

Support your answer with evidence from the text.

10. Why might the author have written this article?

Support your answer with evidence from the text.

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 Do You Bully? - Comprehension Questions Answer Key

1. What defines someone who bullies?

A. his or her age

B. his or her size
C. his or her appearance
D. his or her behavior

2. What does the author define and describe in this article?

A. friendship
B. studying
C. bullying
D. cooperation

3. Imagine that someone keeps calling you "a nerd." You ask the person to stop, but he
or she ignores you. Based on the evidence in the text, what can you conclude about that
person?

A. That person is a bully.

B. That person is not a bully.
C. That person knows how to defend himself or herself.
D. That person does not know how to defend himself or herself.

4. Imagine that someone has called you "a nerd." You ask the person to stop and
explain your feelings have been hurt. He or she apologizes and never calls you a nerd
again. Based on the evidence in the text, what can you conclude about that person?

A. That person is a bully.

B. That person is not a bully.
C. That person knows how to defend himself or herself.
D. That person does not know how to defend himself or herself.

ReadWorks.org · © 2019 ReadWorks®, Inc. All rights reserved.

 Do You Bully? - Comprehension Questions Answer Key

5. What is the main idea of this text?

A. Students who bully can be big and tough.

B. Cheerleaders, student council members, and quiet kids can be bullies.
C. Bullying is defined by behavior, not appearance.
D. Kids who bully might think that bullying is cool or fun.

6. The title of this text is "Do You Bully?" Why might the author have written the title as a
question?

A. to encourage readers to pay more attention to their appearance

B. to encourage readers to tell an adult if they are bullied
C. to make readers think about whether they bully others
D. to make readers feel bad about bullying others

7. Read these sentences from the text.

"Think the person bullying is the big, tough kid on the playground who pushes everyone
around? Could be, but it can also be the cheerleader, the student council member, or
the quiet kid."

How could the first sentence be expanded without changing its meaning?

A. When do you think the person bullying is the big, tough kid on the playground who
pushes everyone around?
B. Do you think the person bullying is the big, tough kid on the playground who
pushes everyone around?
C. Why do you think the person bullying is the big, tough kid on the playground who
pushes everyone around?
D. Why would you think the person bullying is the big, tough kid on the playground who
pushes everyone around?

8. According to the text, what might kids who bully think about bullying?

Include three pieces of information from the text in your answer.

Kids who bully might think that bullying is cool, fun, or "no big deal."

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 Do You Bully? - Comprehension Questions Answer Key

9. Explain whether the author thinks bullying is "no big deal."

Support your answer with evidence from the text.

Students should recognize that the author does not think bullying is "no
big deal." The author asks about bullying: "How can hurting someone
possibly be 'no big deal'?" The "how can... possibly be" phrasing of the
question shows that the author considers bullying a big deal.

10. Why might the author have written this article?

Support your answer with evidence from the text.

Answers may vary but should be supported by the text. For example: the
author might have written this article to persuade people not to bully. The
author begins by explaining what bullying is. Then the author argues that
bullying is not cool, fun, or "no big deal." The conclusion of the article
encourages bullies to change their behavior.

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